7 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

New Times picks the best events in metro Phoenix from April 25 through 29. For more things to do, see our curated online calendar.

Diamondbacks v. Cardinals
Baseball has many rules, most of them not having anything to do with actual gameplay: Don’t step on the pitcher’s mound. Never mention a no-hitter while it’s in progress. No crying. But perhaps most important, at least for Arizona Diamondbacks fans: It’s a long, long season; don’t give up on it too early. Sure, it’s been a rough start for the home team, what with our pitchers giving away home runs like handshakes — just about the worst since 2001, when the D-backs went 4-8 in their first 12, then went on to win the World Series.

The Diamondbacks take on the St. Louis Cardinals at 6:40 p.m. Monday, April 25 at Chase Field, 401 East Jefferson Street. Tickets start at $13. Call 602-462-6500 or visit www.dbacks.com for more. Zach Fowle

Grady Gammage Jr.
The suburbs are a haven from the grind of city life to some, a soulless mall-laden landscape to others. Either way, they’re here to stay, and Grady Gammage Jr. has been thinking about the future of Phoenix’s ‘burbs.

Find out what the senior sustainability scholar at ASU and former elected official’s book, The Future of the Suburban City, says about sustainability and the issues faced by many suburban cities at his discussion led by Sarah Porter, the director of the Kyl Center of Water Policy. Ponder the future at 7 p.m. on April 26 at Changing Hands, 300 West Camelback Road. Tickets are $25 and include a copy of the book and admission for two people. Seating starts at 6:30 p.m. Call 602-274-0067 or visit www.changinghands.com. Amy Young

RuPaul's Drag Race: Battle of the Seasons
RuPaul’s Drag Race may not be a best-friend race (oh Lashauwn Beyond, we hardly knew ye), but seven former and favorite queens have put aside feuds — and put on their faces — for the Battle of the Seasons 2016 Extravaganza Tour, strutting into Phoenix this week.

Performers are subject to change, but chances are good you’ll still see a queen or two you love. The line-up includes Adore Delano, Alaska Thunderfuck, Courtney Act, Ginger Minj, Miss Fame, Phi Phi O’Hara, and reigning Drag Race queen Violet Chachki. The “Extravaganza” is hosted by series judge Michelle Visage with DJ sets from Pearl.

Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 9 on Wednesday, April 27, at Celebrity Theatre, 440 North 32nd Street. General admission tickets are $37.50 and $303 for VIP, which includes a meet-and-greet and signed swag. For tickets, click www.celebritytheatre.com or call the box office at 602-267-1600, extension 1. Janessa Hilliard


Documentary Video Art Festival
The entertainment landscape is littered with binge-worthy shows and YouTube tutorials, and while many people prefer this easily accessible version of fiction and “reality,” the documentary art form is far from lost on the iPhone generation — and no, we’re not talking about status updates or picture posts.

A bi-annual partnership between ASU and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, the Documentary Video Art Festival presents life — real life —on screen. Each five- to 10-minute short film highlights different styles and a variety of interests, from deeply personal pieces on family to cultural reports. The screening showcases work from around a dozen junior, senior, and graduate students at ASU’s Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts, following the spring semester.

The free screening starts at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, at SMoCA, 7374 East Second Street. Seating is limited; first-come, first-served. For details, check www.smoca.org or visit www.herbergerinstitute.asu.edu. Janessa Hilliard

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
“It is one thing to be corrupt. It is another to behave in a psychologically responsible way toward your own evil,” wrote William Kennedy. Perhaps that was the credo of sheriff Jim Flournoy, who continued to be re-elected even after the scandal that closed the Chicken Ranch, the venerable brothel memorialized in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Flournoy’s Fayette County constituents apparently agreed that the Ranch “never hurt a soul” and appreciated his relative integrity.

Arizona Broadway Theatre’s staging of the musical continues through Sunday, May 8, at 7701 West Paradise Lane in Peoria. Thursday, April 28’s performances start at noon and 5:30 p.m. Ticket prices vary with demand but start at $50; dining and non-dining admission are available. Call 623-776-8400 or visit www.azbroadway.org. Julie Peterson

Full Throttle Comedy
If laughter really is the best medicine, then Full Throttle Comedy gives you an opportunity to cure all that ails you — or at least feel slightly less miserable for a couple of hours.

Hosted by Michael Quu, this touring showcase has been descending on national audiences since 2009 and has garnered mega-popularity, with sold out shows happening regularly. This round features stand-up comedians Rob Christensen, Matthew Gill, and Craig “Lowie” Low, each one boasting a resume that includes multiple humor-oriented awards and impressive career highlights like writing for network and cable TV shows. Laugh with, or at, these fellas at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, at Tempe Improv, 930 East University Drive. Admission is $15 for the 18-and-over show, and there’s a two-drink minimum. Call 480-921-9877 or visit www.tempeimprov.com. Amy Young

L.O.V.E.
Think you’ve got a handle on your love life? See how it stacks up against others’ stories shared through dance, film, and live on-stage musical performance in L.O.V.E., a new production choreographed by Lisa Starry, artistic director for Scorpius Dance Theatre.

Starry’s newest work, inspired in part by her own experiences, explores several types of relationships and stages of love. She’s never actually dated a vampire, so don’t expect tales reminiscent of A Vampire Tale, her best-known work. Sure, love bites sometimes. But this time, fangs have nothing to do with it.

Scorpius Dance Theatre performs L.O.V.E. from at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, and through April 30 at Phoenix Theatre’s Hormel Theatre, 100 East McDowell Road. Tickets are $29 to $39, which is less than a fancy bouquet, box of gourmet chocolates, or jumbo heart tattoo. Contact 602-254-2151 or visit www.phoenixtheatre.com for more information. Lynn Trimble